How Avery Dennison & Fresh Inset are Reducing Food Waste

Food waste is rapidly becoming a critical driver of value within the retail supply chain. Once regarded as a drain on margins, it is now seen as a powerful lever for improving efficiency, sharpening competitive positioning and supporting sustainable growth.

Innovations such as freshness-extending label technology are helping to drive that change by slowing ripening and reducing losses.

Earlier this year, research from Avery Dennison, conducted with the Centre for Economics and Business Research, revealed that as much as US$540bn in annual value could be realised across the retail supply chain through food waste reduction.

Food waste is becoming a manageable and strategic priority. With the rise of item-level visibility, closer collaboration and technologies such as freshness-extending labels, retailers are showing how cutting waste can deliver tangible results while keeping produce fresher for longer.

Pinpointing losses

Pascale Wautelet, Vice President of Global R&D and Sustainability at Avery Dennison, says: "The food industry is reaching a critical point where retailers can no longer afford to continue writing off waste as an unavoidable cost of doing business.

“The good news is that this waste is not inevitable. At every stage of the supply chain, scalable solutions already exist, and packaging innovation is at the heart of them.

“Increasing visibility of where waste happens will be key, which is why we believe every food item should carry a digital identity to pinpoint losses.”

Sensor technologies such as RFID can establish item-level visibility for inventory management and traceability. Data in AI models enables demand prediction and accurate forecasting, while packaging innovation helps maintain freshness.

Avery Dennison and Fresh Inset recently rolled out the Vidre+ labelling solution, which they say can slow the ripening of spinach by up to 10 days and raspberries by up to 20 days. 

The perceived benefits are clear. Every additional day of shelf life opens access to more distant markets without the risk of product loss in transit. Retailers benefit from fewer markdowns, improved produce quality and less waste from rejected items due to colour or appearance.

Packaging innovation

Vidre+ works with a freshness-extending label that slows the natural ripening process of fresh produce. By gradually releasing 1‑MCP (1‑methylcyclopropene) from a sticker placed on packaging, the label temporarily blocks ethylene receptors - the hormone responsible for ripening - helping fruits and vegetables stay fresh for longer.

Krzysztof Czaplicki, Co-Founder of Fresh Inset, says: “Packaging innovation is the key to preventing the global food waste crisis from going any further.

“The industry is under enormous pressure and cannot afford to keep absorbing the cost of waste. For exporters, every additional day of shelf-life can mean the difference between profit and loss.

“We believe change starts with freshness-extending technology, which has the scope to make substantial growth opportunities for growers and packers by helping them reach more distant markets without fear of loss in transit.

“Working with Avery Dennison demonstrates how practical and cost-effective freshness solutions can be integrated into existing supply chain operations without adding complexity.”

Fresh Inset now aims to make Vidre+ the global gold standard for perishable-goods packaging.

Pascale adds: “The value is clear. Now it’s time for the industry to lead by turning food waste from an inevitability into an opportunity for impact.”